Ross Noble

ROSS NOBLE ON

Ross Noble is a comic who, like the best of them, splits the crowd straight down the middle. To some he is a rambling muppet with an array of silly voices whose seeming lack of script results in him endlessly stumbling up comedic cul de sacs. The advocates, contrarily, believe that his gift is in the rambling and the silly voices and that his lack of script ends in him dancing down avenues paved in comedy gold. The latter lot must have been heavy on the voting buttons for Channel 4’s recent poll of The 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time, bringing him in at the very respectable number ten slot.

For this two-CD set, culled from shows in Brighton, York, Manchester and Newcastle, Noble shows just how much of his comedy arrives in the moment. A simple gender misrecognition of the ushers, an impromptu musing on the current career of Bob Carolgees, and a suggested link between Goths and pigeons are plucked from nothing and genuine hilarity ensues. If you’re walking in late or double checking your ticket or chatting to your neighbour, expect to be included in the show. Or, as a punter in Newcastle opted to do before heading out to the gig, dress up as rubbish kids cartoon character SuperTed, and become the focus of attention for a solid ten minutes.